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	<p>&quot;The search for new ways of relieving the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is a long and difficult one,&quot; according to Dr Emma Blain, who leads the research with her co-investigators Professor Vic Duance from Cardiff University's School of Biosciences and Dr Ahmed Ali of the Compton Group.</p>
<p>&quot;The South West of England and Wales has a long standing connection with the Somali community who have used extracts of frankincense as a traditional herbal remedy for arthritic conditions.</p>
<p>&quot;What our research has focused on is whether and how these extracts can help relieve the inflammation that causes the pain,&quot; she added.</p>
<p>The Cardiff scientists believe they have been able to demonstrate that treatment with an extract of <em>Boswellia frereana</em> -- a rare frankincense species -- inhibits the production of key inflammatory molecules which helps prevent the breakdown of the cartilage tissue which causes the condition.</p>
<p>Dr Ali adds: &quot;The search for new drugs to alleviate the symptoms of conditions like inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis is a priority area for scientists. What our research has managed to achieve is to use innovative chemical extraction techniques to determine the active ingredient in frankincense.</p>
<p>&quot;Having done this we are now able to further characterise the chemical entity and compare its success against other anti-inflammatory drugs used for treating the condition.&quot;</p>
<p>The research comes as a result of a seedcorn project, funded by the Severnside Alliance for Translational Research (SARTRE), through the MRC Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme devolved portfolio.</p>


<a href="http://images.sciencedaily.com/2011/06/110621121316-large.jpg" rel="thumbnail"><img src="http://images.sciencedaily.com/2011/06/110621121316.jpg" height="201" width="300" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
<div id="caption" style="padding: 5px 0 10px 0"><em>The answer to treating painful arthritis could lie in an age old herbal remedy -- frankincense, according to Cardiff University scientists. (Credit: &copy; marilyn barbone / Fotolia)</em></div>
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